Fire Resign Logan Pause

CHICAGO, IL (December 6, 2011) – The Chicago Fire Soccer Club announced Tuesday the club has extended the contract of midfielder Logan Pause through 2013. Per league and team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“Logan has been a valuable asset to this club for a decade now,” said Chicago Fire head coach Frank Klopas. “Logan has been a great leader for our younger players on the field and in the locker room and personifies our main tenants of tradition, honor and passion.”

Selected in the third round (24th overall) of the 2003 MLS SuperDraft, Pause heads into his 10th season in Chicago as the longest-serving member of the current Fire first team. Named club captain at the start of the 2011 MLS campaign, the University of North Carolina product finished the season with 227 career regular season appearances, putting him second on the club’s all-time list behind retired defender C.J. Brown (296).

The 30-year-old Fire veteran has tallied two goals and 11 assists in league play and has won the 2003 and 2006 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup championships as well as the 2003 MLS Supporters Shield while in Chicago. Named the club’s 2010 Most Valuable Player, Pause also garnered the 2009 MLS W.O.R.K.S. Humanitarian of the Year Award.

Having played throughout the midfield during his tenure in Chicago, the Fire captain has also slotted in as right back and holds the distinction of being the only player to appear in 21 or more regular season matches over the course of nine consecutive seasons with the Fire.

A veteran of six international caps for the United States, Pause was part of the squad that finished as runners-up at the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup.